Refrigerator liner evaporator



@ci; 19, 1948. B. c. JOHNSON} 2,451,744

REFRIGERATOR LINER EVAPORQTOR Filed June 10, 1946 2 Shoots-Shut 1 I Ifle'kmeo CJaQ/vsav 1 1948- B. c. JOHNSON 2,451,744

REFRIGERATOR LINER EyAPon'uon I Filed June 10, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 2 VZHFH/UF Patented Oct. 19, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REFRIGERATORLINER EVAPORATOR Bernard C. Johnson, Mundelein, Ill., asslgnor toHoudaille-Hershey Corporation, Detroit, Mich a corporation of MichiganApplication June 10, 1946, Serial No. 675,582

6 Claims. (01. .62-126) The present invention now providesevaporatorunits for refrigerator liners or frost chests which embracethe liner or frost chest in removable telescoping relation. Theevaporator units are formed from secured together embossed contiguousmetal sheets bent in the form of a U or liner of a refrigerator cabinetto control the temperature of the liner or frost chest.

Evaporator units for mechanical refrigerators are customarily suspendedin the interior of the refrigerator cabinet, preferably from the topwall of the cabinet. In such refrigerators the evaporator unit itself isexposed to the storage space of the cabinet and rapidly becomes coveredwith frost from moisture in the storage cabinet. In addition, in suchconstructions, the evaporator unit must define the sharp freezingchamber or ice tray compartment in the food storage cabinet. If rapidfreezing conditions are desired in the sharp freezing chamber, the outerexposed surfaces of the evaporator unit in the foodstorage cabinet alsomust become colder to drop the temperature of the cabinet more than isnecessary or desired.

To avoid the above mentioned deficiencies of mechanical refrigeratorunits, it has been proposed to provide frost chests or liners in therefrigerator cabinet defining separate storage compartments or cabinets.These frost chests or liners take the form of canisters or containersclosed around their entire periphery except at the front faces thereofto permit access to their interior. These chests or liners have beensurrounded by serpentine coils of refrigerant conveying tubing. Thistubing has been fastened to the liner or frost chest by means'of spotwelded clips, brazing, soldering, or the like. Further, in sucharrangements, a separate refrigerant accumulator has been necessary.This accumulator was soldered to the coiled tubing. In order to increaseheat transfer emciency between the liner of frost chests and coils, aplastic compound was usually employed and the entire outside of theassembly was then usually coated with asphalt.

Frost chest or liner assemblies of the above described type areunsatisfactory in that they cannot be repaired without completedisassembly of the frost chest or liner from the cabinet. In addition,heat transfer efficiency is rather low even with the use of plasticmaterial, asphalt,

and the like, as described. The units are also difficult to make and arequite expensive.

to embrace the top, bottom and back wall of the frost chest or liner.The evaporator units have embossments which providea serpentine ductsystem for flowing refrigerant in intimate thermal relation with theliner. In addition the evaporator unit has an embossment which definesan accumulator chamber so that no separate accumulator need be used.

The refrigerator cabinet has a removable panel in the back wall thereofbehind each frost chest or liner and evaporator units of this inventionIt is then an object of this invention to provide a refrigerator linerevaporator unit composed of embossed contiguous secured together metalsheets having embossments defining refrigerant circulating ducts and anaccumulator chamber and being bent to telescope a refrigerator liner inintimate heat exchange relation.

A further object of this invention is to provide a refrigerator cabinetconstruction wherein the cabinet body supports a canister type frostchest or heat conductive material in spaced relation from the walls ofthe cabinet and wherein a sheet metal evaporator unit is removablytelescoped on the frost chest within the cabinet.

, A further object of the invention is to provide a refrigerator cabinetstructure including a 'cabinet body carrying a liner extending inwardlyfrom the open front of the cabinet in spaced relation from the side, topand rear walls of the cabinet and wherein the rear wall has a removablepanel defining an opening giving access to a refrigerator liner andevaporator unit assembly for refrigerator cabinets wherein theevaporator fits over and is detachably held on the liner by 3 clips orthe like to permit easy replacement of the evaporator unit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a sheet metal heatexchanger composed of a pair of contiguous secured together metal sheetswhich are embossed to provide circulating ducts for heat exchange fluidand which are apertured to eliminate extensive non-embossed areas.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a U-shapedevaporator unit having cut out portions at the corners thereof to renderthe unit easily bendable for conforming to a member received within theU. 3

Other and further objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the following detailed description of theannexed sheets of drawings which, by way of a preferred embodimentillustrates one example of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a frost chest or liner andevaporator unit assembly of this invention mounted in arefrigeratorcabinet shown in vertical cross section.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the frost chest or liner andevaporatorunit assembly of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the assembly of Fi 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken along theline IVIV of Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical cross sectional view, withparts in side elevation, taken along the line V-V of Fig. 2.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the evaporator unit before it is bentinto U-shape and illustrating the embossments on the outer face of theunit.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figs. 1 to, 3 and 5 the reference numeral I designates generally afrost chest or liner and evaporator unit assembly composed of a canistertype metal chest ii and a u-shape sheet metal evaporator unit l2embracing the chest H.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the assembly I0 is mounted in a refrigeratorcabinet IS. The cabinet 13 has a front wall l3 a with an opening i4therein bounded by a marginal flange Ma. The cabinet l3 has a back walll3b with an opening i that is aligned with the opening I4 and ispreferably larger than the opening l4. opening I5 is bounded by amarginal periphery lid. The cabinet i3 also has a top wall 130 and sidewalls such as i3d. A chamber 0 is thereby provided by the cabinet i3.

The frost chest ii is stamped or drawn from sheet metal and has a topwall Ha, a bottom wall ilb, side walls He and a back wall I Id. The

'front of the frost chest II is open and boundedby an outturned flange He. This flange is sized to fit against the marginal portion No of theopening I4 in the cabinet and screws or bolts l5 are'passed through theflanges Ma and l le to suspend the frost chest ii in the chamber C ofthe cabinet ill with the open front of the frost chest aligned with theopening H of the cabinet. A door (not shown) is hinged on the cabinet Itto close the open front of the frost chest.

The bottom wall Nb of the frost chest II has a raised head portion l1extending transversely thereacross immediately behind the flange ilethereof to provide a dam which will retain liquids or the like built inthe storage compartment S of the frost chest.

The back, wall lid of the frost chest II is in spaced relation from theback of the cabinet l3 and has several studs l8 projecting horizontallytherefrom toward the back wall. These studs II are integrally affixed tothe back wall lid of the frost chest.

A cover panel 19 is provided to close the opening IS in the rear walll3b of the cabinet l3. This panel is has a marginal portion overlyingthe flange lid of the opening i5 and screws or bolts 20 pass through thepanel and marginal flange I5a to secure the panel in position on thecabinet. Thepanel l9 has an embossed portion'lfla extending upwardlyfrom the bottom edge thereof to define a passageway accommodating tubingtherethrough as will be more fully hereinafter described.

The evaporator unit I2 is composed of brazed together contiguous metalsheets or plates including an inner sheet 2| and an outer sheet 22.

As best shown in Fig. 6 the unit I2 is initially formed in the flat andthe outer sheet 22 is embossed to define ducts 221; having two groups ofserpentine. coiled portions arranged to lie in the top and bottom wallsof the unit I2. The ducts 22a have an inlet terminal end 23 arranged tobe positioned in the back wall of the finished unit together with anexit terminal portion entering the lower end of an accumulator duct 24also arranged to lie in the rear wall of the unit l2. The inner sheet 2|of the unit I 2, as best shown in Fig. 5,'is also embossed at 24a tocooperate with the embossed duct defining portion 24 of the outer sheetfor providing an accumulator chamber of enhanced capacity. Theembossment 24 slopes slightly upwardly as shown in Fig. 6 and has anupstanding terminal embossment 25 at its upper end providing an outlet.1

Both of the sheets 2! and 22 have apertures 28 therethrough at portionsthereof to define the corners of the U-shaped unit. The sheets, when inthe flat, are substantially rectangular as shown in Fig. 6. After beingembossed to define the above described ducts, the flat sheets are brazedtogether and are then bent into the U-shape of the finished evaporatorunit. Top and bottom legs and a back wall are thereby provided with theserpentine groups of ducts 22a lying in the top and bottom legs andconnected along one side edge by the connectin duct 22a shown in Fig. 6.The accumulator formed by" the embossments 24 and 24a lies in the backwall of the finished unit. The apertures 26 lie in the corners betweenthe back wall and the legs of the unit and since the legs are joinedwith the back wall only through fragmentary portions of the sheets,these legs are readily bent toward and away from each other tointimately hu the frost chest. In addition the cut out apertures 26remove from the unit any large brazed together unembossed areas therebyfacilitating the brazing operation in that gas pockets might bedeveloped in large unrelieved contiguous areas.

The sheets 2| and 22 are further apertured at 21 to receive studs l8therethrough.

- A refrigerant supply tube 28 is secured in the inlet portion 23 of theduct 22a and a spent refrigerant outlet tube 29 is secured in the outletterminal duct 25. Refrigerant is thus caused to flow first throughserpentine ducts in the top leg of the unit, thence around the back ofthe unit into the serpentine ducts in the bottom of the unit and nextupwardly into the back wall of the unit into the lower end of theaccumulator defined by the embossments 24 and 24a. Spent refrigerant isexhausted from a level above the upper end of the accumulator outthrough the tube 29.

tions of the top and bottom legs of the evaporator unit. Additionalstrips 3i extend transversely across the top and bottom walls of thefrost chest ii near the front end flange iie thereof to cooperate withthese walls for defining grooves which receive the front edges of thelegs. The strips and Si thus provide clips whlchengage the ends andsides of the evaporator unit for retaining the unit in telescopedrelation on the frost chest while causing the legs of the unit to haveof the frost chest. It should be noted that the inner sheet ii of theevaporator unit is not embossed along the top and bottom legs of theunit and has flat surfaces for intimate contact with the top and bottomwalls of the frost chest.

The transverse strips 3i also function to provide stops for theevaporator unit i2 to hold the back wall of the unit in spaced relationfrom the back wall lid of the frost chest and thereby prevent crushingof the embossment 24a against the back wall of the frost chest. Thestuds i8 are passed through the apertures 21 of the evaporator unit andnuts 32 are threaded on the studs to be bottomed against the back Wallof the evaporator unit for drawing the unit tightly into the strips 3 I.

The tubes 28 and-29 connected to the unit i2 are passed through thechamber provided by the embossment lea of the closure plate or panel IQfor the cabinet i3.

In order to remove the unit i2 from the frost chest ii, it is onlynecessary to remove the plate is from the cabinet i 3, remove the nuts32 from the studs i8, and slide the unit I! rearwardly off of the frostchest i i and out of the cabinet chamber C through the opening ii. Theunit can thereby be easily repaired or replaced without disturbing anyof the connections between the frost chest and cabinet. It should benoted that I it is not even necessary to remove the tubes 28 and 29 fromthe unit I! in order to permit removal of the unit from the cabinetchamber 0 since the tubes are flexible and when the closure plate orpanel is is removed they have sufficient unrestrained length so thatthey can be deflected without kinking or collapsing.

From the above descriptions it should therefore be understood that thisinvention provides a chest or liner and heat. exchanger assemblyespecially adapted for refrigerator cabinets wherein the heat exchangercan be easily separated fromthe liner or frost chest without disturbingthe liner or frost chest and its connection with the cabinet. It willalso be understood that the heat exchanger itself is arranged so that itwill always have intimate heat exchange relation with the liner or frostchest without being permanently connected therewith.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be varied through a wide range .without departing from theprinciples of this invention and'it is, therefore, not the purpose tolimit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a cabinet having front and rear walls with openingsbounded by marginal intimate contact with the top and bottom wallsflanges. a canister type liner in said cabinethaving an open front withan outturned mounting flange therearound mating with the marginal flangearound the opening in the front wall of the cabinet, means securing themounting flange of the liner with said marginal flange around theopening in the front wall of the cabinet, a heat exchange unitinsertable through the opening in the rear wall of the cabinet intelescoped sn'ug engagement on said liner, tubes secured to said unitfor circulating fluid therethrough, and an embossed removable coveroverlying the marginal flange on the rear wall of the cabinet forclosing the opening in said rear wall and receiving said tubes throughthe embossed portion thereof.

2. In combination, a refrigerator cabinet having aligned openings in thefront and rear walls thereof. a frost chest in said cabinet having anopen front aligned with the opening in the front wall of the cabinet andsecured to said front wall, said frost chest having top, bottom, sideand rear walls in said cabinet in spaced relation from the cabinetwalls, a u-shaped sheet metal evapo- 5 rator unit having top and bottomlegs snugly enducts together with embossments in the back wall unitembracing said container in intimate heat transfer relationship, saidevaporator unit being embossed to define refrigerant circulating ductsand an accumulator chamber receiving refrigerant from said ducts, andmeans carried by the container releasably holding the evaporator unit'snugly thereon.

4. In combination a frost chest, clips secured on the outside of saidchest cooperating there-- with to define grooves. and a U-shaped sheetmetal evaporator unit embracing said chest and seated in said grooves inintimate thermal relation with the chest.

5. A frost chest and evaporator unit assembly for refrigerator cabinetswhich comprises a container with one open end, studs extendingrearwardly from the closed end of said container 09- posite said openend, an evaporator unit having legs embracing the top and bottom wallsof the container and a rear wall receiving said studs therethrough,stops on the top and bottom walls of the container arranged for abuttingthe front end of the face of the evaporator unit, and nuts on said studspressing against the rear wall of the evaporator unit to draw the unitagainst said stops.

6. In combination. a frost chest having top, bottom, and rear wallstogether with an open front defining a storage chamber, a U-shaped sheetmetal evaporator unit having top and bottom legs in intimate contactwith the top and bottom walls of the frost chest and a bight portionad-- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the mfile of this patent:

8 UNITED sums PATENTS Number Number Name Date Lieb Aug. 4, 1936 PhilippJan. 26, 1943 Phlllpp Aug. 3. 1943 FOREIGNPATENTS Country Date GermanyDec. 4, 1933

